The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-10-04
FOR THE YOUNG FOLKS.
uh for the Chtidren-The Constitution
Training School for Boys and Girls.

DEAR CHILDREN: The little letters have
peen Coming in so fast that il is impossible TO print
'llenh au There are more than fifty that could not
get III last week, and the same this week, but yon
may Know read each one of them and send them
all to the Office and if you don't see them il is the
printers fault, as know the children sending me
subscriptions will want 10 know whether II is re-
celVed safely; viii thank them for their Kindness
ana PRINT only their names fear all the letters
c'th not get IN. have received contributions this
week from the following children: Allison Bird
wen, Albert Wright, Eugene C. Routh, H NJ. Nc
CroNey, i. A. Park Mamie MeCrdney, Susie Mer-
rlll, Eio1se Mahone, Kate Swain, Elizabeth Wiley
susie and Matte Tabor, j. l.. Holloway, Fannie
hussell, Callie Harrington, Raymond shy, X. W.
harmon, May Bell, George Perry, Lizzie McMicher
ana Lula Reeder. Igye these names, as have re-
celVed several hundred letters, and of course they
are crowded out for want of room.
"AUNT SUSIE"
DEAR NEPHEws AND NIECEs: We pass but
re" pc nts OF special interest on our trip through
FLORIDA The first place of any interest is De-
funlak springs or lake. There are few cottages
ana very nice hotel. You have all heard of
Chatauqua in New York when Sunday school
workers meet each summer to advance the interests
OF mat work, and besides they have ChatauQua
clrcles all over the country and young people so
tnrough regular course of nstruetural reading.
DeFuniak springs was organized on the same plan,
that mas been called the Southern ChatauQun."
we make no stops until We reach jacksonville,
Whleh requires about twenty-four hours from New
orleans. lfyou please we will not stop at jackson
vile, but so right on to Key West. We go up to
Paatka, say up because we are going up the st.
johns fiVer though going southwark. At Paatka
we take a narrow gauge road for Tampa. We pass
one OF the most beautiful places in Florida on this
route and that is Lake Weir On the left Of the
road is a bluff, right high one for Florida and on
4 u
and magnificent orange groves, all overlooking am
exquisite lake. on the further shore of Which can
be seen white cottages eittering in the sunlight
and surrounded by the deep green of the orange
trees and in the fall the trees almost seem borne
down by their golden fruit Wereach Tampa about
night, and must go down the river in lighter or
small steamer to meet the steamship that goes to
Cuba and stops at Key West. Now they have two
beautiful ones, with everything to make you COM
Portable. 1t is about 2i0 miles from TamTa to Key
West and the trip is made in about eighteen hours.
Ii there is no storm the trip is delightful onethe
deep green waterjust ripping under the soft breeze
sometimes you see hundreds of flying fish, as they
Jump out OF the water and fly for distance TO
get out OF the way of some big fish trying TO catch
them which is probably porpoise. We enter the
harbor OF KeyWcst or Cage Hutso, as II is written
by Spanlards, by the northwest passage, IF the
weather is good but if it is stormy we anus go
aroundthe island and come into tho harhor ny the
south passage because it is deeper and there are
so mary DANGEROUS gaps. As we approach the
lslandsWe often, see WhItish looking spots in the
water; they are where the coral reefs come mp near
the surface, and the wind is blowing much the
entire water looks whitsh. This is owing to the
fact that all these islands made of coral and the
waves have beaten great deal of it of in fine dust
and when the waves are running high they wash
the whitish powder from the bottom to the surface
Of the water This island is only one of holsands
of coral islands, 1t is not the largest Cayo Longa or
Long Key being larger but ii is best known because
1t is in the way of trade Coral is of limestone
rock made by numbeTless minerals of coral insects
and the streets of the city of Key West are hard and
never get muddy 1t is only about six feet above
tse gulf and in big storms the water will dash high
over the wharves and sometimes come up into the
city, but there is no danger of its being washed
away as il is on rock. Did you ever see town
where the houses had no chimneys? There are but
two houses there that have thon of course the
kitchens have them, but those are all 1t is within
ten miles of the tropiesan and is all the winter
In November II is very common to men in Inch
suits; but you do not suffer much from the heat in
summer, there is hard breeze blowing all the
time. We see 10 such trees as almost any where
else; all of them are tropical. The cocanut grows
beautiful and on each tree you can see the flowers
nuts not larger than marble the size of an orange
up to the fun size. The date palm grows there and
the almond, but do not often bring their fruit to
perfection. You viii find around some Of the
houses many very beautiful bushes and flowers
which grow luxuriantly The financial business of
the place is to manufacture cigars, which are sent
all over the country. This is not a pretty place;
most of the houses are poor. Thelbarracks grounds
are beautiful but the only soldier there a sergeant
to keep the grounds in good condition There are
several forts AROUND the island; some of them built
during the war, perhaps for earth southern people
would try to take the island, but we did not want
it, we had more than we knew what to do with any
how Very many OF the larger keys ai0hnd here
have been settled and coco0nut and banana afovos
planted, hope they viii get very cheap alter n,
while One bay on the southwest coast of Florida
has so maay islands that they are called "The ten
thousapd Islands," The gulf is a Lad place for
storms;they can come 80 quickly and blow 30 hard
Once In coming back, before / went to sleep, the
gulflook like glass it 80 quiet and tie moon
shone on it beautifully About two o o'clock at night
l was almost thrown out ofmy berth; did not
know what was the matter, aud jumped up; when
tried to walk | staggered like a drunken man and
when l looked out of the window the wind was
blowing terrible storm and the waves as big as the
steamer kept chasing us as If trying TO catch us In
the morning, / am sure you would have laughed to
have seen US trying to drink coffee. The beat was
rolling, and you could not sit down or stand up A
young man thought he could sit down by the table
and drink his coffee, but in about second his
coffee was all over the table and he was picking
himselfu up. must say / was glad when saw
Egmont light which is at the entrance Of the Bay of
Tampa, But must stop or Aunt Snse will be after
me- AfeetiOnaely, "UNCLE WILL"
Correspondence.
Abilene Texps-rhis is nv first loffnr IN trt,r